I am going to talk about what makes Manipal University special. As I know a thing or two about the institute through my friends who are studying there. 

• It is among the best medical colleges in the country. The faculties are great and there is scope for research. These are the reasons why it has been given special status. 
• Among all the private institutions in the same field, Manipal is ranked at 5th which shows the promise of more development. 
• MIT became autonomous back in 2000 and within only 20 years it has become one of the top 50 engineering colleges in the country, out of 10000. The placement statistics of MIT are also improving with the passing years.
• It was ranked top among all the private institutes of India by QS World rankings.
• The infrastructure facilities provided at the campus are great. 
• Although MIT has a higher course fee with the brand name it’s easier to find private funding. 

So, there are some of the things that may have been the reason why MIT got special status.